#309: The E-Reader
Knowing when to abandon your to-read pile
I’m tired from work. More tired than a day spent at my desk, sat yards from my bed, should really make me. But times are tiring right now, and that’s okay.
When we were first encouraged to begin “social distancing,” I sketched a huge A3 mindmap of all the things I could do. Sat on the floor, surrounded by coloured pens, I scribbled things to learn, to make, to discover; things to keep me occupied at home. I saw people across my social media channels starting up projects, finding different ways to keep in touch, going to virtual club nights, and it was heart-warming and inspiring.
A few days down the line and I’ve realised something key. Whether my alone time is chosen or mandatory: I remain an introvert.
And, more importantly, right now I am a tired, worried one.
And so, I folded up the A3 sheet for another day, and picked up my old friend instead: my e-reader.
Within a day I had finished a book. I read quite a bit, but this speed is unheard of. I’d left Thomas Hardy and George Orwell on the shelf and chosen something light and fun. I’d stayed up reading (just one more page, one more click of the button) just to finish it. I’d been lost in a story in the same obsessive way as when I was a child.
I listened to my mood instead of the pressures around me. I selected a book, and the book provided.
And I could do this because of my e-reader. I had access to basically any book I wanted. I downloaded on a whim, rather than being tied down by my guiltily large “to-read” pile. And when I was done, I downloaded another book that suited my mood and within minutes had escaped again.
Sometimes the books on my shelves weigh heavily on me. Bookmarks stuck halfway in novels I just can’t finish. Large tomes bought in charity shops that I had grand designs to conquer. When I abandoned these in order to be kind to myself, when I picked up my e-reader instead, the load lightened. This device could be anything I wanted it to be. Anything I needed it to be.
And it will continue to morph. To soothe, to calm, to make laugh, to allow space for sadness and fear, and to cheer up, as and when I need it.
Right now I’m grateful for the objects in my life providing comfort. And this e-reader is top of the list.
